


Second Side of the Coin

by predilection



Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 12:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18344006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/predilection/pseuds/predilection
Summary: When Kiriya picks up the phone, he's expecting an emergency call, not to learn that the emergency is already over and that Emu has somehow split into two people.Or: Kiriya meets M, and Parado plays matchmaker in his own misguided, creepy way.





	Second Side of the Coin

**Author's Note:**

> (Spoilers for episodes 28 and up.)
> 
> This was inspired by episode 19 and is set in an alternate timeline in which Kiriya comes back sooner and Emu knows more than he seems.

When Kiriya picks up the phone, he's expecting an emergency call, not to learn that the emergency is already over and that Poppy's calling to tell him that Emu has somehow split into two people.

Yet there are definitely two identical Emus in the CR office when Kiriya arrives. At first glance, everything about them is the same: their faces, their hair, and even their clothing. The only discernible difference between them is that one Emu is sitting at Poppy's game console playing DoReMiFa Beat while the other Emu is tugging on the first Emu's arm.

"You can keep playing later. We need to go for tests," the arm-pulling Emu says.

The other Emu jerks out of his grasp. "We're the same person. You go for the tests."

Kiriya wasn't sure at first, but now he knows for certain which one of them is the Emu he knows and which one is the genius gamer M. He feels a jolt of excitement. Ever since he learned that M could exist as a separate entity from Emu outside of a battle, he's wanted a chance to meet him -- especially since he was still dead when M manifested like this for the first time and took over Emu's body for a day.

"They've been like this since the fight," Poppy says, coming to stand at his side. The fight, she explained earlier, that ended with Emu undoing his transformation of Mighty Brothers XX with this result.

Emu -- the arm-puller -- ceases his arm-pulling at the sound of Poppy's voice, and his eyes widen when he spots Kiriya. "Kiriya-san? How long have you been here?" 

"Not long," he says, but his attention is already on M, who's paused his game causing the music from the console to cut off abruptly. "It looks like I finally get to meet your other half."

M looks over his shoulder, and the smirk he's wearing doesn't look right on Emu's face. "Kujo Kiriya," he says. "I've wanted to meet you as well."

Kiriya's immediately intrigued. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," M says, looking him up and down.

Emu lets out a distressed sound and starts tugging on M's arm again, more insistently this time. "Come on," he says. "This is serious. We need to get these tests done if we want to figure out why this happened to us."

M waves a dismissive hand in Emu's direction. "You go on ahead then."

"Don't be like this. You know you have to come with me."

As Kiriya watches them, his curiosity is piqued further. He can't help but wonder why they interact like they've spent a lot of time being around one another. From what he's gathered, until now, M only ever appeared alongside Emu when they were using Mighty Brothers XX.

"Ahh! It's after two already?" Poppy exclaims suddenly. Kiriya startles, as do both Emu and M. She's pointing at the analog clock in the corner one moment, and the next, she's rushing forward and grabbing M's other arm. "We need to hurry if we want to be able to use the lab!"

M rolls his eyes, and again, the expression is foreign with Emu's features. "Fine," he huffs and Kiriya suspects he's only relenting because he won't be able to keep playing DoReMiFa Beat with the way both Emu and Poppy are tugging at him. He lets Emu and Poppy drag him down the stairs but before he vanishes from view, he looks over at Kiriya and briefly but pointedly meets his eyes.

*

Poppy and M return by themselves an hour or so later, Emu having presumably gone back to pediatrics to finish his shift, and M heads straight for the DoReMiFa Beat console, immediately picking up his game where he left off.

"Any news?" Kiriya asks Poppy.

She shakes her head. "From what we can tell, they really are the same person."

"And the tests for bugster influence?" Because as excited as he is to finally meet M, this is a worry he can't shake: that M is somehow related to the bugster that's infecting Emu. The one that they haven't had any luck locating.

"The tests on both Emu and M were inconclusive, just like last time M appeared."

Kiriya frowns at that, and invites Poppy to sit with him at the table. He gets her to tell him everything she can remember about the fight before this happened. Unfortunately, there's nothing out of the ordinary about what she shares with him. What is noteworthy is how M doesn't so much as glance in their direction as they talk, seemingly undisturbed by them discussing him in earshot.

Kiriya asks Poppy to run another analysis of their blood for him, and it's only after she's gone that he goes over and leans against the doorframe to the alcove. "You really plan to just sit here and play video games all day?" he asks M.

To Kiriya's surprise, M pauses his game again. He spins around on the stool and looks up at him. "We're finally alone. I thought she would never leave."

Kiriya makes a show of looking around the empty office. "It appears we are. You wanted to talk to me?"

M tilts his head to the side and it's a gesture that doesn't belong to Emu. "I have a question for you." He leans forward in his seat, his hands gripping the edge of it between his knees. "Do you like Emu?"

Kiriya blinks, taken aback. It would be hard for anyone not to like Emu, but he's pretty sure that's not what M's asking. "Why do you want to know?"

"See, I'm only going to be here for a short while. I want to help Emu out while I can."

It's a non-answer but it's informative in its own way. "How do you know you're only going to be here for a short while?" 

"I asked you an important question," M says, undeterred. "Do you like him?"

Truth be told, Kiriya's had feelings for Emu since they first clasped hands and Emu's face lit up, his smile wide and sincere, but there's no way he's telling M that. "I asked you a question as well."

M searches his expression for something, and he seems to find whatever he's looking for, because he grins. "Oh, I like you, coroner, and I've decided to give you some good news."

Kiriya narrows his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. "You going to answer me or what?" 

"Emu likes you."

The words are unexpected, and Kiriya's heartbeat picks up even though he doesn't believe them. His incredulity is clear in his voice when he replies, "Does he now?"

"I share his thoughts," M says, bringing himself to his feet. He raises his arms in an expansive gesture. "Did you know that he thought about you all the time? Then you went and died and he somehow managed to think about you even more. I don't know if you noticed, but he was overjoyed when you came back."

Kiriya's not sure why M is playing him like this, but as fascinating as it is, it's also disconcerting coming from someone with Emu's appearance. "So what? Someone coming back from the dead calls for a little celebration."

M groans. "Come on. You know that's not what I mean."

"Oh? What do you mean then?"

M takes two, quick steps forward, and then he has one hand on the wall next to Kiriya's head and is much closer to him than he needs to be. "Sometimes he daydreams about you grabbing him and pushing him against the wall in the hallway downstairs." M presses even further into Kiriya's personal space and angles his head like he's coming in for a kiss. "You know, like you did that one time. Though you should probably take him out to dinner first."

Kiriya has fistfuls of M's t-shirt before the words fully leave M's mouth. He shoves M away from him and hauls him upwards.

"Yeah, kinda like this," M says, unperturbed, and Kiriya feels a sudden flash of anger.

"Who the hell are you?" 

M tilts his head to the side again. "I'm M."

"Are you a bugster?" Kiriya asks, shaking him.

"A bugster?" M throws his head back and laughs. "I told you. I'm M! Emu and I are the same person!" 

Kiriya snorts because there's no way Emu would ever act like this.

"Look, I really am who I say I am. I have more confidence than Emu and I'm telling you this because he's never going to otherwise."

Kiriya remembers something M said earlier and his fingers tighten in M's t-shirt. "This is your idea of helping him?"

"I _am_ helping. He doesn't think it's possible that someone like you could want him, even though I can tell that you do and I just met you." M sighs theatrically. "That means you have to make the first move."

Kiriya almost drops his hold on M. "Wait, are you trying to get me to ask Emu out?" 

"You really should," M tells him. "He likes okonomiyaki if you're wondering where to take him."

Kiriya raises an eyebrow at him. "Does he?"

"What? You still don't trust me?"

Now it's Kiriya's turn to throw his head back and laugh. "Of course not. You're nothing like Emu, and you clearly know more about what's going on than what you're telling us."

"That doesn't mean I'm lying." Suddenly, there's something serious -- something harsher about M's expression. His eyes narrow and his next words come out like a growl. "Either way, now you know how Emu feels about you. Don't you _dare_ break his heart." 

In one too-swift movement, M's pried Kiriya's hands off of him. He sits back down on the stool and the cheerful music that starts up again from DoReMiFa Beat is at odds with the way Kiriya's is still standing there, frozen. 

Because M's threat made it sound like he actually cares about Emu, and if that's true -- if he really is trying to help Emu -- then maybe this whole bizarre conversation wasn't just him trying to mess with Kiriya. 

Kiriya curses. He's half-tempted to grab M by the shoulders and demand answers from him but the emergency call that comes in cuts off his thoughts, and he's checking the main screen on instinct.

M is behind him before Kiriya even registers that he's moved. "Yes! A fight!" he cheers excitedly, and Kiriya tenses when he clamps a hand down hard on Kiriya's shoulder. He leans in close, and Kiriya can feel his breath against his ear when he says, "I'm not going be here later to talk more sense into you, so you better take my advice." 

Before Kiriya has a chance to process that, M's running from the room and Kiriya takes two deep breaths before catching up with him.

*

M and Emu are standing next to each other in the warehouse when Emu inserts the Mighty Brothers XX gashat into his driver. A moment later, both of them have transformed without any difficulty and are attacking the bugster together. Kiriya tries to keep track of them during the fight, but that becomes impossible when he ends up outside battling a second bugster that appears. 

By the time he defeats the second bugster and makes it back inside the warehouse, the first bugster is gone. Emu and M are both still transformed though and they stand facing each other, Emu's hand hesitating on the Mighty Brothers XX gashat. 

"Will this make you disappear?" Emu asks.

"I'll still be part of you," M tells him.

Seconds pass and they're both unmoving as if they're waiting for something, but then Emu nods and pulls the gashat out. M is pulled towards Emu as their transformation vanishes in a swirl of light, and when the light fades, only one version of Emu remains.

"You're the doctor Emu, right?" Kiriya asks, jogging over to him. "Not the gamer M."

He blinks at Kiriya and from his expression alone Kiriya knows that this is, indeed, Emu. "How could you tell?"

Kiriya smiles at him. He's relieved that Emu is alright even though he's not sure how he feels about M disappearing. Or about M in general. "I got to spend some quality time with your counterpart."

Emu's whole body goes still. "You did?"

"Yeah, you're nothing alike," Kiriya tells him. "He's kinda an asshole."

Emu winces. "I know. I'm sorry..." he says, again acting like the two of them have spent time together. "Did he... say anything to you?"

Kiriya snorts. "He said a lot of things to me. Not sure how much of it was true though."

Emu frowns and looks away, his brows pinching together, and Kiriya takes a moment to consider what he could be so worried about M telling him. There's only one thing that makes sense, but given the nature of his conversation with M, it's more of a potentially preposterous hypothesis than a conclusion. 

He's not opposed to testing it though. He slings an arm over Emu's shoulders. "I'm pretty sure one part of it was true."

Emu's expression is still wary when he asks, "Which part?"

"Apparently you like okonomiyaki." Kiriya grins and begins steering Emu out of the warehouse. "Luckily for you, I know where we can get the best okonomiyaki in the city."


End file.
